


Hase-Hime

by Geej



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Don't wanna give away too much plot just read it man ;o, Fairy Tale esc, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:01:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geej/pseuds/Geej
Summary: Based off of the Japanese fairy tale, The Tale of Hase-Hime. Following Dream as an unfortunate prince and Wilbur as his faithful knight.Also, shenanigans? You bet brother.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Wilbur Soot
Comments: 10
Kudos: 111





	1. Knights in Pink Weather

_A young boy lied patiently on his mother’s lap, her fingers weaving through a short tangle of golden locks. The boy looked up to see his mother’s tired eyes and sad smile. He smiled back, naively misreading the woman’s lips._

_“Oh Dream, my precious boy. I want you to promise me something.” The youth sat up, hands to her chest in attention._

_“I’ll be going for a while. In that time, I want you to be good to your father, as well as the one he may remarry. Treat her with unconditional kindness, whomever she may be. Be an obedient and good little prince. Above all, I need you to be strong, a perfect role model to influence your people.”_

_She stared on intently, and when the boy sleepily nodded, her gentle strokes stopped, and her eyes slipped shut._

Light came crashing in on the fuzzy colors of the memory, and a sleeping form was awoken.Dream rubbed lazily at lead-heavy eyelids, frowning. How many nights in a row was he going to have the same visions? The warmth of the past was teasing him, but even so, it was hard for him to argue against it. It was almost like he could feel his late mother’s soft hands, see her kind eyes..

The moment of sanctuary was interrupted by the sound of thudding against wood, and an ear-piercing yowl.

“Dream! Are you up yet?! Your father and I have been waiting for you in the dining room for almost ten minutes!”

The blonde groaned inaudibly. The bright colors in his room seemed to turn cold as his door was swung open, in walking his step-mother.

“Ugh, this room’s still a mess. I want you downstairs in no more than five minutes!”

All there was for Dream to do was nod compliantly. She looked around a bit longer, as though the room would give her a reason to yell, then strutted out the door.

The ordeal left the prince tired all over again, and sluggishly, he allowed barren feet to droop down onto the icy tatami mat below. He trudged over to his large wardrobe, getting back into years’ worth of routine, lest he face the wrath “no more than five minutes” would bring.

Dream shrugged on thin cotton underclothes, gracefully pulling on a silky lime kimono over it. He rushed the knot keeping the garments together, ignoring the informality. He’d just have to fix his attire before dinner. Since he’d only be around his family, he skipped the cloak and shawl, instead opting to tie wavy strands into a short side ponytail.

Leaving on only tabi socks, Dream trudged out the door to the hall, swiftly making his way into the dining area.

Masked by a calm and delicate demeanor, the servants of the castle were unable to see the dread the man felt.

* * *

“So you’ll visit, right?”

“Yes.”

“And write letters?”

“Of course.”

“Will you-”

“ _Yes_ , Tommy.”

An ocean of sadness swam into the bark of oak as Wilbur and Tommy locked eyes. Wilbur smiled while Tommy scowled.

With bated breath, the young knight asked, “When will you be back? Y’know, like, for good?”

“As soon as I can. You know I have to do this Tommy. We could really use the money, and this is a grand opportunity in itself.”

The elder found himself backing towards the doorway, despite his pseudo-brother's slouched frame. He gave in to the automatic parenting impulse that scratched at the back of his brain.

“Tell you what Tommy, at the end of every week I’ll send you a souvenir, along with the letters. How’s that sound?”

The teen’s head shot up at the first word of gifts, entire face brightening. It was just like the boy to trade a loved one’s presence for aimless trinkets. Wilbur found it endearing, though.

Pulling the younger into a tight hug, he stood for a moment, breathing in the distinct vanilla-cinnamon scent he identified as home. It would be a long while before he was able to be there, after all.

After a few pressing beats, Wilbur spoke, “Make sure you share some of the stuff I send you with Tubbo, alright?” He knew how Tommy could be.

Tommy laughed into his chest, loud cackles muffled by thick clothing. “I totally forgot. He’s gonna be pissed you left without him able to see you off!”

“Oh, he’ll be alright. He needs his beauty rest.” The two pulled away, and Tommy’s obnoxious “pahaha!”’s were loud in Wilbur’s ears, but he didn’t mind.

As the brunet held a hand to the door knob, satchel held tightly to his body, he shared a somber smile with Tommy. “See you later, Tommy. Tell Tubbo I said bye.”

The former hesitated. “I will. Take care, Wilbur.”

* * *

The sun was high in the sky, yet threatened to fall into the stars as orange hues and dusty pinks blazed with it’s rays. Wilbur was sure it had been hours since he left the walls of L’Manburg, but according to his map, he was only particularly close to EssemPi’s knight’s quarters. That meant he was at least.. 2 miles away from the kingdom itself.

Wilbur felt himself sigh, nearly groaning. He was hoping to meet up with the queen today, but since the knight’s housing was closer, it’d have to do. He supposed he was a registered soldier by now anyway, what could possibly be the harm? Stealing a glance at the mini map in his journal, Wilbur figured he had a ways to go before he even reached his rest stop. In that time, his mind began to wander with his eyes.

The surrounding area was so foreign from his hometown, the biggest tell-tale sign he was going to be in a completely different place than what he was used to. Even in the chilly Autumn air, sakura trees stood strong, the occasional rosy petal falling at Wilbur’s boots. The brunet had only seen trees this profoundly _pink_ in his younger years. They were a stark contrast to the greens and browns he grew up knowing, and he found it almost dream-like.

Within his wonders, Wilbur spotted a large wall of cobblestone, not too dissimilar to the black stone walls of L’Manburg. They stood distinctly silvery grey to the clumps of light pink the tall trees proposed, making the structure hard to miss. Wilbur straightened his back, walking in stride toward what would be his temporary destination. The man was very focused on not making a fool out of himself, especially considering his lasting impression on his town’s own corps.

When a tall spruce door was clear in view, a few people in thick armor could be seen as well, standing upon the large wall. One was helmetless, fitted with what appeared to be a white headband on their forehead, jet black hair surrounding it. The other in the pair was shorter, yet with their helmet on had no other defining features. The latter of the two took a notice to Wilbur almost immediately.

“Halt! Stop where you stand, traveler!” His voice was relatively high, but he held irrefutable determination.

His helmetless friend turned his head almost lazily. “Who’s that guy?” He squinted his coal black eyes stupidly.

“How should I know? And stop speaking so casually! We’re supposed to be taking our jobs seriously Sapnap!” To Wilbur’s ears, the short knight sounded like he was screeching, easily comparable to that of Tommy’s regular talking.

‘Sapnap’, the knight with the white headband, gave blatant disregard for his comrade’s antics, turning to Wilbur. “You’re the new recruit, right?” Wilbur’s slack posture straightened quickly, and he allowed his face to turn serious.

“Yes! I’ve come from L’Manburg hoping to speak to EssemPi’s king and queen, but the day’s almost over. Could I, perchance, stay at the knight’s quarters until morning?”

Sapnap’s relaxed expression turned devilish for a few seconds before his face fell into a gentle smirk. The armored man beside him turned to him, head quirked sideways at the peculiar change.

“Yeah man, totally. Just come closer to the gate, we’ll open it for you.”

Wilbur gave a bright grin. Turned out the minor inconvenience would be easier to bypass than he first thought! In the morning he’d wake up fresh and good, the knights of EssemPi recognizing him for the respectable gent he was-

There was grass and leaves in his mouth. Laughter ringing in his ears, as well as high-pitched screaming. It took an astounding thirty seconds for Wilbur to realize he was on the ground, a thin wire pulling at his booted foot.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe that fucking worked, what a jackass!!” The humiliating laughter was coming from the helmetless knight, Sapnap. Ugh. Well, there goes his crystal-clean record, flushed down the damn toilet by a stranger he’d only just met.

The other knight had the rattling sound of metal emanating off of him, clearly trying to hold in laughter.

When Wilbur stayed face-down in the leaves, suffocating in his own self-deprecation, Sapnap finally spoke up, laughter reduced to a smile. “Hey, you okay down there? Shit, you don’t think I killed him, George, do you?”

He finally lifted his face. “I’m fine, asshole.” The brunet picked himself up, brushing off grass stains and crushed petals, shaking off his embarrassment with it.

“Can you open up the door now?”

The smirking knight nodded. “Okay, for real this time,” he grinned, “And don’t take that awesome prank too personally, we do it to every new member. Gogy here can testify.” The aforementioned elbowed him.

“Whatever.” Wilbur was unable to stop the smile from leaking into his voice, despite himself.

He watched on as the heavy wooden door lowered in front of him, stepping back to make room for the massive frame. When the loud creak of the door finally came to a stop, the smiling face of Sapnap, and the helmetless grin of presumably, ‘George’, was there to greet him. With a rough and friendly shove on the back, Wilbur was welcomed into the walls of EssemPi’s knight’s quarters.


	2. The Courtyard Offers Sunshine in Varying Doses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy wow took me a while to edit this chapter in the way that I wanted to ;o;. Sorry about that homies,,,, at least the chapter is longer now :,)

_ 6:39 _

Like clockwork, Dream woke up on the cusp of 7:00 am, the conversations of the birds his natural alarm. He went against his body’s automatic protest of waking up, readying himself for another busy day.

Today he’d wear.. a casual white yukata with forest green trimming. The blonde let his hair rest against his neck, settling on a comfortable and nonchalant Saturday, at least concerning his attire. Dream knew he’d be critiqued by the castle members, and perhaps most troubling, his step-mother. He didn’t exactly have time to care though, perfecting his crafts and skills were at the forefront of his mind, as usual. It was all he really had to rely on, so it was a given he’d put his talents before his worries.

Early that morning, the prince decided on practicing his beloved harp, wanting to thank the birds for waking him up at such a favorable time. Since it was so early, he was able to lounge at one of his favorite places in the entire kingdom.

Dream, clad in rough wooden geta, crouched upon the stone sill of his bedroom’s tall window. In a swift movement of lean athleticism, he twisted his body backward as he jumped, landing reflexively like a cat. He dug his feet into the metal of the roof so as to not slip, and once he came to rest, sat to look at the awakening EssemPi. Dream clung to the image before him, the sight of his precious people’s homes and structures, as unreachable as they were. Due to his step-mother’s meddling and her wretched staff’s convincing, it had been years since he had actually gone outside of the castle walls. Looking, not touching, was all he was able to do, and he pounced on every opportunity he had to do so, as even they were limited. 

One of the best parts of Autumn, Dream found, was the cool chill that came with the rise of the sun, waking him easily. He was always eager to start the day, start productivity. The more time he had to do these things, the more distractions he would have from the trivialities of life. The prince basked gratefully in the bright hearth that was the fiery morning sun, keeping his eyes closed peacefully as he pulled a small harp out from the large drooping sleeve of his yukata. 

The golden-stringed instrument was barely larger than his own hand, yet he cherished it’s sweet noise, undoubtedly one of his most liked ‘diversions’, one he was glad to practice for hours. When he chose it among other larger, grander instruments, he was questioned about it, yet wasn’t able to come up with reasoning for his impulse at the time. Nowadays it came to him that, deep within himself, he felt just as the harp looked; small in the light of greater people and things.

When a tiny wagtail perched secretively on his shoulder twittered loudly into his ear, he was brought back down from the spacious thoughts that preoccupied him. The blonde shook off the sudden startle, exhaling slowly and closing his eyes once more as he began to strum. 

Dream plucked a forlorn melody into the strings of his harp, whispering the lonely notes through his fingers and into the tool. He focused his feelings into his music, and the smile that played on his lips went against the sad tune, a new hum of tranquility blossoming. The birds formed a small silent crowd in front of him, infatuated with the emotional song. For a while he sat, lost in the strumming. 

Very suddenly, though, the loud noise of yelling and the disturbed flutter of feathers filled his ears, ending his harp-led harmonies in an abrupt, ugly chord. 

“Dammit, child! Where the hell are you!! Don’t tell me you’ve gone off on that god-forsaken roof again!” Shit.

Fear was struck into the heart of the prince, and was amplified when he slipped down into his room, directly into the crossfire of his step-mother. Immediately he shoved his harp into his sleeve- who knows what would happen if she knew about that thing.

Dream bowed his head submissively as she screamed, “This is the  _ last _ time you’ll go up there! If I catch you again I’m boarding up the goddamn windows, you hear me?!”

Once again, all there was for him to do was nod, obedience the only option in his favor. If he were to respond to her, she’d chalk whatever he would say to him talking back. 

The scraggly-haired woman stomped out of his room, slamming the door behind her. Dream found himself sighing as he slumped to the ground to lean against his bed. He gripped his sleeved arm, the metal of the harp digging into him painfully, but he failed to notice.  _ If only I could get out of here _ , the prince thought,  _ then I could be happy _ .

A good many of his days went by in similar fashion to that morning. On Sunday, he clumsily fell into the dinner table. Instead of her being concerned for having  _ banged his damn head into the table, _ she screamed at him for spilling a few grains of the sticky rice. On Monday, he was caught in the castle’s courtyard gazing at the pine trees beyond the tall gates, which, for some reason, he wasn’t supposed to do, and as a result was sent to spend the rest of the day in his room. On Tuesday she was absent for a great amount, leaving Dream to read happily. At sundown, however, he was given a letter addressed to him, which was almost instantaneously intercepted by his step-mother, leaving him curious for the rest of the night.

For Dream, there wasn’t much release from the rocky tribulations of the week. On Wednesday, however, he’d finally have a break from it, as well as relief from the questions the letter brought.

Exactly 23 hours and 58 minutes from the time at which Dream’s step-mother ripped away the letter, the tired prince sat in the open courtyard admiring a bundle of pale yellow flowers, keeping himself occupied with thinking pleasant things. He yearned for the next morning when he’d be able to play his harp again. In his mind he composed a nostalgia induced song, spurred on entirely by a tune he’d dreamt his mother sang to him. Behind his closed eyelids he envisioned a melody filled with love and warmth, accompanied by a harmony of purity and innocence, feelings that enveloped his heart in the most homely, non-existent hug. 

When the sudden echo of booted footsteps clouded his thoughts, he put the composition in the back of his brain, locking the precious music away safely. As the steps grew louder, his anxieties slowly dissipated, a lighter feeling replacing it. The only person he knew to wear such heavy-sounding boots was his traveling friend, Technoblade.

When the footsteps grew to their loudest, the freckled man whipped his head toward the open pillared corridor, smiling for the first time since Saturday morning.

“Techno! I’m so happy to see you!” 

Said man gave a grin in return, pulling Dream up and swaddling him in a genuine hug.  _ A real hug _ .

“Hey man, glad to see you too.” Within the pig-lover’s deep voice, Dream could still hear his bright smile, and he rubbed his face against the man’s furred robe, not ready to let go. 

“I missed you so much while you were gone,” the prince’s tone turned solemn, “Things haven’t been too great here.”

Techno hummed in response, his hand massaging soothing circles down his friend’s back.

The smile didn’t disappear from his voice as he said, “Well, I’m still here for you. You know that. And, either way,” Techno pulled away to look at Dream confidently. “I know you’re strong enough to make it through it all.”

The blonde wasn’t able to keep up with the burning gaze the other gave him, but nodded gratefully, ears going red.

“Thanks Techno,” He chuckled, wheezes escaping him, “I can always count on you.” 

The pair pulled out of one another’s arms, sitting at the same flowers Dream greeted Techno at. The prince stared at them, smile never leaving his lips, and the strawberry-blonde followed his fixed look.

“Buttercups? Really? Isn’t that sorta... feminine for you?”

“Wha-? You really think that?” Dream almost gave himself whiplash turning to look at the man in disbelief. 

“You usually see these kindsa flowers with, like, girls and kids and stuff. You’re such a dainty guy.” 

The latter brought a fist down to his shoulder, nearly pouting. “You are  _ so _ dumb. At least I don’t drool at the idea of slashing people to death!”’

“But it’s fun when you get used to it! Can’t believe you’d say somethin' like that to me…. I’m never visiting again.”

“Techno..!”

The two had a childish back-and-forth, voices never turning malicious in the banter. They spoke about baseless topics until the moon was late into living amongst the stars, their feelings of happiness and excitement never expending. It wasn’t until Dream spoke up after a long pause that the two came down from their high.

“So, how did your last mission go?” 

Techno seemed to think for a moment, a miniscule smirk on his lips as his eyes looked at nothing in particular. “It went fine, nothin' of significance happened, but I guess there was something,” he hummed, “Yeah, there was a new recruit, it was his first outing with us. He was surprisingly talented, but you’d sorta expect that from someone who peaked in L’Manburg’s ranks.”

Dream found himself gaping slightly. “He was from L’Manburg?”

Techno only m’hmmed, seeming indifferent to his friend’s revelation. 

“If he’s really that impressive, I wouldn’t mind having a good sword fight with him,” Dream said casually.

It was the crown-adorning man’s turn to gape. “I thought you quit practicing that stuff a while ago,” he smirked. “Change your mind?”

“It’s not really that.. I guess it would be fun to put his skills to the test, that’s all.” The blonde drew his legs close to his chest out of nervous habit.

Techno laughed loudly, making Dream scrunch up more. “And you said  _ I  _ was war-hungry!” His laughter only continued to ring out, and when it finally died down, the other was left sputtering to defend himself. Another pause drained the waters of the energy-filled quips. 

“I have to get going now, Dream. It’s already dark out and the guys’re probably wonderin' where I am.” The two stood.

The prince lightly clung to the end of Techno’s robe. “... Do you know when I’ll be able to see you again?”

His friend gave another confident smile, a determined sheen in his deep brown eyes. “Well, the moon’s in it’s waxing state, so.. well, you know when.”

Dream perked up. “Oh. R-right. But, even then I won’t really-”

“It’s fine, Dream, I’ll give you something to remember the night, okay?” 

The former looked down at his geta. “Okay. I trust you, Techno.” He allowed himself to let go.

Techno gave one final grin and gave a deep, respectful nod, pulling away. Dream looked on despondently as he watched the strawberry-blonde walk down the open hallway, out of sight. His shoulders slumped, and he was suddenly burnt out entirely. He’d be able to see his lifelong friend very soon, but it wasn’t as though he’d remember it. The small happy moments the universe dished out to him were always on the dirtiest plates; a full meal ruined by the unfortunate disclosure that the plate was already so tarnished. Although he welcomed the good things that happened to him, they always seemed to be ripped away so quickly. 

Dream returned to his spot in front of the buttercups, not quite ready to go to sleep, yet his subconscious mind was in protest. He calmed himself by recalling the melody from before, and even when he felt it made him sleepier, the song was comforting. The prince supposed the reason he was up so late anyway was because of the underlying feeling that something was going to happen. He was antsy for action, especially since talking to the likes of Techno, someone who only fueled the sparks of chaos within the sheltered prince. 

The blonde’s jittered thoughts were interrupted by the heavy sound of booted footsteps... very similar to that of his friend’s! Had Techno come back? Whatever the reason, Dream was instantaneously excited and happy once more, turning his seated form to peer into the darkened hallway. From the foyer a shadowy figure finally appeared, and his fluttering heart turned to stone, sinking down into his stomach. The person walking definitely wasn’t Techno. In the dim moonlight, a wavy-haired brunette shone clearly. He wore the EssemPi knight’s uniform, a dark green collared shirt tucked into brown pants, and from there Dream’s confusion only grew. At this time of night all kingdom staff were supposed to be in their quarters, so an armorless knight was a foreign sight to see. Even the knights that were meant to protect the castle itself had posts that were nowhere near the courtyard. 

“Erm, I think I’m lost..?” The figure spoke, and it took a few moments for Dream to realize the statement was directed at him.

The blonde held a long sleeve to the lower half of his face, hiding himself in a sheepish fit. “Um, where are you headed?” He willed himself to respond.

“I just had a chat with the queen and I was on my way out. This place has so many damn twists and turns I couldn’t find the entrance again!” The tall brunette gestured almost wildly to the end of the hall, face scrunched up in an amusing confusion. 

Dream’s shy beguiled smile wasn’t visible behind his sleeve. He found his voice within the mysterious person’s fantastical tone. “Just continue down the hall, and when you see a gold-framed painting, take a right from there. If you keep walking, you should see the door you came in from.” 

The other slouched with a relieved grin. “Thanks! Have a good night… er, I don’t think I caught your name?”

Dream grew overwhelmingly shy again, turning away to look at the flowers when the stranger looked at him in patient expectancy. 

When the former hadn’t responded, the other merely waved at his turned back. “Well, thanks anyway! See you around, Shyman.” Loud boots echoed down the hallway, and when the sound disappeared from Dream’s ears, he relaxed his reddening face, taking deep breaths. 

It was difficult for the prince to describe exactly what he had felt, which was unnatural for him. He was so used to knowing so much of himself, as he was his only company most of the time. Dream knew he wasn’t always well-adjusted to meeting strangers as the occurrences were few and far between, yet something was very different about this man. He could only truly express it as a spark of sorts, and the cheesy thought brought warmth rushing to his cheeks.  _ Well, I guess I got the action I wanted _ , he thought.

The yellow buttercups at his feet seemed to dance against the wind’s tremors, the stars their spotlight. In that moment he envied the carefree energy. 

* * *

It was hard for Wilbur to say felt ecstatic, or even happy, to finally be in EssemPi territory. He was accepted and welcomed as a knight so quickly, yet the ache of his calves were at the forefront of his mind. The walk of 7 miles from the day before didn’t feel so bad at the time, but here he was taking the brunt of the aftermath. He still had a lot to do today, so complaining would get him nowhere.

Wilbur leapt out of the throwaway cot he borrowed, ignoring the burn his legs induced. With a quick glance at his small notebook, he decided on grabbing a bite to eat before he was off toward the main kingdom. The only problem was, he had no idea where the hell the kitchen was, so the only thing there was for him to do was ask someone about it. Considering he just spent one and only night at the base,  _ who _ was there for him to even ask?

Ah! There were the… ‘friendly’ acquaintances from yesterday evening that could help him. 

The knight trudged beyond the stone doorway of the small room he spent the night in, tracing his steps back toward the wooden gate from before. When he looked up the ladder of the scouting area, he was shocked to see a tall, unfamiliar form leaning against the sturdy railways, clearly not Sapnap or George. Wilbur found himself hesitant, the man had no uniform or armor on, only a large embellishment of EssemPi’s symbol on his wide cape. For all he knew, this could be an important figurehead he was about to speak to. The waving image of a green shield upon the red cape only served to further intimidate him. 

Wilbur pressed on anyways, clearing his throat. “Pardon me, but might you know where the kitchen is?”

The brooding figure turned his head slowly, as though jaded, and he was greeted with half-lidded red eyes that deadpanned in his direction. “There is no kitchen. Who’re you, anyway? ‘Haven’t heard of any new recruits, and I don’t recognize your face.”

“Well, I’m from L’Manburg hoping to become an officer as soon as possible,” his voice almost wavered as the mysterious man’s expression seemed to somehow become more stoic, making it difficult to maintain eye contact. “..My name is Wilbur Soot.” The words came out awkwardly, and although he wasn’t socially anxious by any means, there was a subduing nature in the stranger. 

The strawberry blonde’s eyes widened goofily, a distinct change from his previous attitude, and his back was twisted to sit against the rail, giving Wilbur his full attention. 

He smirked as he eyed the other, saying, “I know you. You were the highest ranked general in L’Manburg, weren’t ya,” his head rolled contemplatively and lids sheathed the piercing red orbs that were his eyes. “You wanted some food, right? Breakfast is being served in an hour so you might as well wait.”

The shift in the air made things lighter, so Wilbur spoke confidently. “I sort of can’t wait. I want to see the queen as soon as possible, and a quick snack is all I need.”

The caped man only hummed, and the silence frustrated the brunet.

“So, are you able to point out where the food is or-”

“You couldn’t possibly be thinking you could just go off and get a title assigned to you without even letting the general of EssemPi see your skills.” The serious tone the man had was back again, making Wilbur stiffen. “Take if from one general to another, Wilbur, you shouldn’t rush head first into seeing her. She’s a very judgmental woman. Do a little recon with me and the boys and we’ll see just how fit you are for the job you’re aimin’ for.”

The knight was silenced, slightly discouraged, yet thought about the other’s words. He was desperate to get the care he wanted for Tommy and Tubbo, but patience was also important. His efforts would be for nothing if he was immediately outed by the queen herself.

“Alright. I’ll do it.” 

* * *

Wilbur had spent a sizable sum of the day with the strawberry blonde man, and after learning his name, Technoblade, felt all the more reassured in his decision to stay at the knight’s quarters for just a bit longer. To the former general’s surprise they were going on the mission at nightfall, a time at which Wilbur would have seen as inconvenient. Nevertheless, Techno seemed sure of himself. 

The brunet stared up at the waning gibbous moon that threatened to spill into full milk white, biding his time with composed stillness. A mere 20 minutes ago he was directed to the other end of the massive foundation that was the knight’s quarters, sent to wait as the others prepared. The area was filled with tall trees that loomed above the stone and wood walls, casting a dark yet easy shadow. Beyond that, below his boots, there was a gravelly path that crunched loudly as he stepped in place, growing tireless in his effort of patience. The walkway stretched beyond the clearing of trees, and only lanterns could guide anyone hoping to breach the night’s black skies. 

The unaccompanied man couldn’t help but wonder what the knights were setting out to do during this late hour, and when Techno’s lazy drawl creeped into his mind,  _ ‘Don’t worry too much about it’, _ he had said, Wilbur ignored it. L’Manburg’s knights had always gone out for reconnaissance in an attempt to gain leverage on their neighboring kingdom. He could remember leading tens of warriors at a time to inspect large, wall-covering maps for hours at a time, the intent robotically malicious. It made for a peace treaty that came off as passive-aggressive to every L’Manburgian soldier. 

EssemPi gave a different feeling, though.

“You ready Wilbur?” It was Techno.

The aforementioned broke his eyes away from the lonesome moon, trading it to peer at his comrades who stood with torches being the only source of light to make their faces known. To his surprise there were just Sapnap and George, a smaller amount than he had expected. Was the mission they were going on really that insignificant?

Wilbur regained his wandering mind and looked to the trio smiling. “Yeah, I’m ready.” 

The four of them exchanged brief glances, understanding caught between irises, and they set off into the looming darkness. 

* * *

Even adorning lanterns couldn’t save the group from the cold black night as it seemed to stretch on forever. Wilbur was caught in a daze, and as long as he heard gravel under his boot and see the glow of Techno’s light, he could keep consciousness. It wasn’t the night calling him to sleep that made him drowsy, rather, it was the undeniable boredom that crept at his sagging shoulders. 

He was finally sobered when the pattern of dim illumination and crackling stone was broken. Ebbing into the deep surrounding blackness stood a tall door, barely visible against the glow of the lanterns. It had the same dark oak wood of the knight’s quarters, yet seemed to disappear into nature as vines and shrubbery nipped at the surface, making it even harder to see. If this were the entrance of EssemPi, then Wilbur was slightly underwhelmed. Very suddenly, it occurred to him.

“What are we doing here of all places? If we’re doing reconnaissance, shouldn’t we be in an entirely different kingdom than the one we’re working for?” His mind couldn’t pull back the reins before the question was spilling out of his mouth like bile. 

Immediately Techno answered, “Didn’t I tell you not to ask questions? Just have faith in us.” It came out in a slothful hiss. 

Sapnap was strangely quiet, and George inactive in his usually expressive mannerisms. The peculiar behavior only sprinkled more curiosity into the soup of wonder in Wilbur’s mind. 

The feelings were snuffed out when Techno reached into his back pocket and pulled out a key to open the door. When it was opened, a fantastical amount of lights brightened up the dead of night. Wilbur’s brown eyes were doused in gold, the town- no,  _ city _ before him stood sparkling, a hyperactive contradiction to the bordering forest that encircled it’s walls. Citizens were awake and lively, colorful marketstands their hub for social activity. It bewildered the knight, who’s hometown had always been grey and stone-filled in every memory. The only smiling faces in L’Manburg were that of Tommy and Tubbo, yet here stood tens of hundreds of people with an easy grin. Wilbur found himself craving their highs, desperate to know what made them so unabashedly happy.

When the trio ahead of him turned in his direction to mirror the townspeople’s smiles, he fully understood. 

Sapnap laughed loudly as his eyes crinkled. “Welcome to EssemPi, Wilbur!”

* * *

From that Saturday night, the bright and beautiful hidden city of EssemPi stayed glued to Wilbur’s brain, and not for the reasons he initially thought it would. Before that special moment, he always envisioned the city as the enemy, and a mere few days ago, a place of opportunity. Now, however, the only word the brunet could really use to describe what he saw was.. almost magical. The comparison of L’Manburg and EssemPi kept flittering in and out of his mind, and he wanted more than anything else for Tommy and Tubbo to see it. 

On Monday Wilbur had been given a small thick-papered slip from George. It stated he’d be seen by the queen on Wednesday, and his elation had been indescribable. Within his rush of excitement, he prepared a draft letter for his boys back home, eager to tell them how the meeting would go. He spent hours painting the picture of EssemPi into words, using what he saw the night before as his brush. 

Tuesday came and went, as well as Wilbur’s patience. That morning, when he left the walls of the knight’s quarters, he walked quickly against the walkway to EssemPi, path clearer than ever in the sunlight. The sakura trees above swayed beautifully in the soft Autumn breeze, and as he walked on, they turned to great, thick, pines. The change in tree types was impossible to see during the night, so Wilbur silently admired the way in which the morning dew clung to the dark greens, precious pink light accompanying it. 

Caught up in the hazy and pleasing forest, it wasn’t long before Wilbur was back at the overgrown door. He didn’t even bother to look back as his hand reached for his back pocket, eyes stuck on the fantastical wood. Cold metal key in hand, he took the few necessary steps to reach the padlock, breath stuttering in unyielding anticipation. 

As he pushed the door open with a loud, aged creak, the sight was unlike that of Saturday night.

Somehow, there were even  _ more _ people, children and adults, some having dogs, all of them interacting in gratifying ways. Even the people who were arguing came off as more human than L’Manburgians. 

In broad daylight, an even grander sight was seen. Towering above it all, like some sort of fairy-tale, stood a grand pale emerald castle. Even from the distance, the brick was the most delicate green Wilbur has ever had the chance to perceive. He had never even imagined such a color for a castle could exist. It sat stark against the darker green pine trees framing it, a wondrous sight to the knight. 

Wilbur, weaving in between the mass of people, had a determined, fixated look on the huge towers, truly unable to tear his eyes from it. The sunshine beaming down on him only amplified his euphoria, and he strutted on towards the castle in confidence. 

Within minutes, the crowd of people seemed to dwindle, turning into a mere 2-4 in small groups. The light stone path was no longer littered with shops and vendors, and with the small number of people came off as a cozy plaza, interesting Wilbur even more. The city seemed so versatile. 

At last he stopped when the plaza grew to it’s most round and centered, a humble fountain basking in the midday sunlight, all in front of the strikingly green castle. His gaze fell to the arched entrance, darker stone embellished in tiny yellow buttercups. It was almost child-like to Wilbur, further enhancing the hazy, dream-like presence the entire city had.

In front of the flowery archway stood a knight with astute posture, presumably a guard. Instead of the traditional armor, his outfit mirrored Wilbur’s, but along with his uniform was a brown sling, a crossbow hanging off of his back. 

Wilbur approached the man in stride, looking down at the smaller. “Good morning! I request access to the castle, as I have a scheduled meeting to attend.” 

The knight strangely smiled, and the horn-like spikes in his black hair seemed to bounce as he chirped, “Pass of Confirmation please!”

For a moment Wilbur internally panicked, not knowing what the knight meant by ‘Pass of Confirmation,’ but his mind automatically went back to the slip George had given him, safely tucked away where the key was, in his back pocket. He willed his mind to calm.

Silently he slipped the thick paper to the guard, who’s face contorted into confusion. 

“Gah! I know who wrote this, George that muffinhead! He’s always giving recruits the wrong paperwork..” 

The brunet disregarded the use of ‘muffin’ and ‘head’ in such a wild manner, but the worry returned fresh. Did George’s mistake mean he’d have to come back another time?  _ When I get back over there, I’m gonna rip him a new one,  _ Wilbur thought bitterly. 

“You know what, don’t even worry about it. George has made this same mistake way too many times to count, I’m sure you’ll be fine to let in.” The guard seemed tired, yet smiled at him.

Wilbur bowed respectfully, ecstatic he could continue on. “Thank you,” he said simply, walking by easily and into the courtyard of the castle. 

In the large courtyard there was rich, lush grass, with more colorful flowers embroidering the short and neat blades. As Wilbur walked the stone path to the main entrance, his head lolled from left to right to stare up at the cherry blossoms that overshadowed his figure.

Once in the foremost tower of the castle, Wilbur was slightly confused, and after aimlessly wandering the green-carpeted halls, he was pointed to a specific room by an attendee. With a glance at his wristwatch, he was glad to see that he was five minutes early, despite the complications of his arrival. 

The conference room was a lot less professional than he had expected. In the very middle of the medium-sized room sat a long dark oak table, a few glasses of an unnameable elixir sitting on top of it. At the end of the table, near the back, was a tall window framed in white, an amiable sunlight basking the whole of the area in a sweet-seeming orange. The most compelling detail to Wilbur was the floating shelves on the walls of similar wood to the table. They housed small painted trinkets, wolves, foxes, rabbits, all cute and little. The room didn’t come off as an appropriate place for a meeting, but Wilbur preferred it to the other intimidating rooms he had seen. 

Just as he seated himself in the plush cushions of the chair closest to the window, loud, authoritative talking clambered down the hall, getting closer and closer to the room. To Wilbur’s ears the voice sounded wiseacre, almost snobby, and took up the castle’s large space. 

_ “...Early!.... Have you know…. Who does…. think he is?!”  _ Despite it’s volume the voice swam in and out of his range of hearing, as the person was gesturing wildly at a constant. Before it could get any louder- and any closer- the talking stopped altogether.

Wilbur’s eyes stopped at the door in anticipation, and he watched as a tall uniformed knight opened it, a few others in tow. He held the door open wide for a woman with frizzy dark hair, her nose pointing up toward the sky, and another uniformed knight. While the woman sat at the opposite end of the table, the knights stood stiff and domineering. It was safe to say this was the queen, but she held an air about her that didn’t come off as.. royal. Just entitled. 

Wilbur sat up straight and cleared his throat. “Queen Ravana. I’ve come to request proper licencing to be a part of EssemPi’s royal guard.”

“Right… you’re Wilbur Soot, a former general of L’Manburg.” Her expression went unchanged, and she stared on, deadpanning. “Now why, exactly, would we let you so close to the royals fresh out of your hometown? For all we know you could be a spy.” Her eyes narrowed then. 

The inquisition left Wilbur confused. “I had signed plenty of paperwork regarding my verification. There was months of preparation for me to take my place in EssemPi’s guard.” 

“Y’know I never bother to read that useless  _ bull _ .”-She picked dirt out of her nails haughtily-”I guess I’ll have someone come in and give you that stamp of approval.” 

The brunet’s breath stilled, and when the queen had left as quick as she came, warm light seemed to seep back into the room, and he could breathe again. The process was a lot simpler than he first thought it would be, between Techno’s allusions and the queen’s borderline bipolar interaction, the entire ordeal went well to say the least.

Waiting patiently came to him easily, and he watched as the oranges of the sky turned pink, and then a dusty indigo. The next step to all of this was getting a proper home in EssemPi. Wilbur mulled over his plans in his head, eager to get started as soon as possible. There was no doubt that the tribulations to go along with it would be troublesome, however. 

After what felt like hours, a woman clad in crisp attire entered the room, swiftly dropping a stack of paper at the table, and with a muttered, ‘sign here,’ was gone as fast as the queen herself. 

Wilbur was absolutely beat. The day felt so long, so full of nothing, yet had it’s tiny bits of everything. It didn’t really feel like it, but he had accomplished so much in the day. 

Rubbing at his eyes tiredly, the newfound officer wandered the dark halls aimlessly, stuck in a stupified rut. When after 6 turns he was led to places that  _ weren’t _ the castle’s exit, Wilbur willed himself out of his daze. The only place to turn to was an open corridor, and the change from oak wood walls to light yellow brick drew him in. 

As his feet seemed to drag behind him, he was greeted with a courtyard, smaller than that of the castle’s entrance yet elegant all the same. The similarities didn’t stop there, as the courtyard had a single tree in it’s center, a large and beautiful sakura that had branches reaching for the stars. Below, resting at it’s roots, sat a man whose head tilted down toward the buttercups nipping at the end of his white kimono. 

The man’s head followed his movements as the rest of the courtyard came into view. Wilbur sought out the opportunity to ask of his own whereabouts. 

“Erm, I think I’m lost..?” He asked goofily. 

The blonde in front of him almost seemed to hold disappointment in his green eyes, but it was whisked away as a long sleeve covered the lower half of his peach-skinned face. After a few beats, the man spoke, saying, “Um, where are you headed?” The words came out shaky, and Wilbur was suddenly interested. 

“I just had a chat with the queen and I was on my way out. This place has so many damn twists and turns I couldn’t find the entrance again!” He let out gestures that seemed to pull amusement from the blonde. Internally, he smiled. 

“Just continue down the hall, and when you see a gold-framed painting, take a right from there. If you keep walking, you should see the door you came in from.” 

He grinned at the other. He’d finally be able to get out of this maze of a castle! “Thanks! Have a good night… er, I don’t think I caught your name?” Wilbur stared on in easy anticipation, curiosity scraping at his very skull. 

The brunet was downtrodden,-and all the more enthralled- when the other turned away with a reddening face. The shy man- hm.  _ Shy man.  _ The name stuck in Wilbur’s mind. 

“Well, thanks anyway! See you around, Shyman.” He echoed the nickname playfully, and turned to leave, straight down the hall of the courtyard. 

Even as he left EssemPi’s main castle towers, thoughts of the Shyman still bounced off the walls of his brain. The man was like EssemPi itself; mysterious and mystical, and Wilbur yearned to know more. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pacing of the story is totally fucked but I'm glad I got this stuff out of the way. More interesting plot stuff coming soon 👀

**Author's Note:**

> Eh, this is my first fanfiction I'm writing and uploading, so any criticism is hella appreciated. If you hate it, tell me what's shit, if you love it, tell me the things you like! This first chapter is mostly a test run, I hope to make chapters longer than this and all that. Anyway thanks for indulging in me :o


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